2026 Chevrolet Equinox problems, complaints & recalls

2026 Chevrolet Equinox recalls (1)

• Recall 26V114000Feb 26, 20265,861 vehicles
  EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

  General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”

  Risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.

Recent 2026 Chevrolet Equinox complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 5, 2026KSDriver Assistance & Safety TechLighting

   After a large rain storm the Blindspot warning detector was malfunctioning. It was saying there was something in your blind spot on the driver side when nothing was there. The light was flashing on and off. Also, when it does that your automatic lights will not turn to bright as it assumes something is coming up on your side. You then had to take your lights to manual to get the brights to work. There are technical bulletins from GM out on this. I called the dealership at…

   NHTSA complaint #11769112 · source
2. Filed Sep 19, 2026PADriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical SystemOther / Unknown

   I have owned my Chevy since 6/30/25 when I bought it new. Since then, the blind spot warning system has activated many times when there hasn’t been anything there or remotely nearby. It’s like a ghost. It’s usually the driver’s side mirror that gets activated. I have cleaned the sensors too and it still occurs, making me think I’m going to get hit, or hit a person, pedestrian etc. i have read of other owners on social media experiencing same issue & thought I should report…

   NHTSA complaint #11765451 · source
3. Filed Sep 16, 2026FL1 injuredBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety TechOther / Unknown

   While pulling forward out of a parking lot at a low speed, the vehicle's Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system suddenly and aggressively engaged without warning. There were no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles whatsoever in the vehicle's path. The deceleration was extremely severe and violent, mimicking the sensation of hitting a brick wall. This unprompted, false-positive system activation subjected my body to intense, sudden forces, resulting in a painful back injury…

   NHTSA complaint #11764675 · source
4. Filed Sep 5, 2026FLTransmission & Drivetrain

   I am driving a rental Chevrolet Equinox with the steering-column-mounted electronic gear selector. I believe this shifter design creates a serious safety hazard. The gear selector is a stalk on the steering column positioned and operated similarly to controls commonly used for windshield wipers in other vehicles. While driving, pulling back on this stalk can immediately shift the transmission into Neutral, even at highway speeds. My wife and I have unintentionally shifted…

   NHTSA complaint #11762382 · source
5. Filed Sep 5, 2026MIOther / Unknown

   When you accelerate from a stop, the car wobbles and shimmy’s until you reach about 15mph and then it stops and drives normally.

   NHTSA complaint #11762353 · source
6. Filed Sep 4, 2026MICrash1 injuredTowedBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety TechOther / Unknown

   At approximately 5pm EST, my wife stopped the EV vehicle after backing out of the garage and put the vehicle in park. After exiting the driver's seat, she was outside the open driver's door, had both feet on the ground and cleared the door enough that she was preparing to close it, when the vehicle began moving with no one in the driver's seat. The vehicle traveled down our inclined driveway, across the street and striking my neighbor's house. A [XXX] neighboring child was…

   NHTSA complaint #11762083 · source
7. Filed Sep 3, 2026ARDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   my 2026 equinox is having an issue with the blind spot warning on my driver side mirror will either say on or flash. this is regardless of driving, or being parking. i have washed my car, checked my sensor, and i am still having issues. the dealership does not see any issue with the car, however, while driving at night, this is such a distraction because i'm constantly checking my mirror to make sure there's nobody there. there was one day, i had open my trunk from my…

   NHTSA complaint #11762008 · source
8. Filed Sep 1, 2026MICrash1 injuredDriver Assistance & Safety TechOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

   On XXX, at approximately 5pm EST, my wife stopped our 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV after backing out of the garage and put the vehicle in park. After exiting the driver's seat, she was outside the open driver's door, had both feet on the ground and cleared the door enough that she was preparing to close it, when the vehicle began moving with no one in the driver's seat. The vehicle traveled down our inclined driveway, continued onto neighboring property, and continued through…

   NHTSA complaint #11761249 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology